Fuse holder



Feb. 9, 1954 E. l.. .JOHNSONv FUSE HOLDER Filed Sept. 14, 1950 I itl #is ATTORNE YS Patented Feb. 9, 1954 FUSE HOLDER Elbert L. Johnson, Warren, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1950, Serial No. 184,772

` 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fuse container and particularly to containers for use in electric circuits.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and compact receptacle including a cartridge type fuse which is particularly adapted for completing an electric circuit from one end of one conductor to the end of another. This and other objects are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a receptacle of two parts with one of the parts having means adapted to lock the two parts together in an operative' position andunlock the parts upon a slight turning movement of the one part to permit separation of the parts so that the fuse can be easily removed for renewal and also a connecting arrangement such that one oi the `conductors may be readily connected or disconnected.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the fuse receptacle embodying the present invention and drawn on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on, line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the fuse receptacle looklng in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2 with the removable fuse and the terminal removed.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 7 and 8 are top and side views, respectively, of a ring contact used in the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a side View of a contact sleeve embodied in the present invention.

Fig. l0 is a sectional View taken on line lil- I0 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 11 is a detail in section, with certain parts in elevation, showing a means for securing a receptacle to a support.

Referring to the drawing, 2t designates a fuse housing or receptacle including a. body 2| and a cap or knob 22 of molded insulating material. The body 2| is provided with a pair of through passages or openings 23 and 24 with a common Wall 25 therebetween. The opening 23 receives a contact ring 26, a cartridge type fuse 21, a contact (Cl. Zim-129) 28 and a coil spring 29. The spring 29 has one end bearing against the back of the flange on contact 28 and the other end resting on an internal annular shouldel` 30 formed at one end of the passage. The contact 28 has a reduced portion 3l having a recess to receive bared ends of an insulated conductor 32. The reduced portion 3| is swedged against the bared ends to provide a good electrical connection between the contact and the conductor. The insulation of the conductor cable extends loosely through the restricted portion of the passage formed by the annular ledge or shoulder 3G. The passage 23 is enlarged at 33 to provide a shoulder 33a. upon which rests the contact ring 2li, as best shown in Figs. I and 8.

The contact ring Z6 is preferably a one-piece member punched from conducting sheet metal. As best shown in Figs. 'l and 8, the conta-ct ring 2B includes a dat annular portion 35 having diametrically opposed slots 36 to provide a bayonet joint connection with radial ears 3l' on a split sleeve contact member 33 to be described. The outer periphery of the flat portion of the ring is notched or cut-away to provide a series of integral spaced radial tangs 39 bent to one side of the portion 35 at an obtuse angle, as viewed in Fig. 8, so as to make the tangs 39 yieldable. The diameter of the enlarged portion 33 of the passage 23 is less than the cross dimension of the contact ring 2G in its deformed state. Thus when the contact ring 23 is pushed into the enlarged portion 33 of the passage 23, the tangs 3d Will yield. When the ring engages the shoulder 33a and the pushing force is released, the tangs will bite into the cylindrical wall to hold firmly the ring contact Within the enlarged portion 33 of passage 23. The ring 26 is formed with an integral arm 45| bent at an angle to the other side of the ring portion. This arm is in turn bent back on itself at the bend M to form a yieldable extension 42. This construction forms a hook-like end. A detcnt i3 is formed in the extension 42. When the ring is xed in the opening, the arm il with the hook-end Will extend into the passage 24, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Fig. l also shows the application into the opening of a Spade type terminal 1M having an opening to receive the detent 43 which assists in locking the terminal in the passage 2t. By this arrangement the prong 44 with an insulated conductor attached thereto forms the other end of the circuit.

By having the hook-type end on the end of the arm 49, the insertion of the prong M will cause the arm 4t to be forced against the wall 48 of passage 24 and the prong 44 against the wall 25. Further, by having the hook-type end, the prong or plug 44 can slide between the arm and the Wall 25 more easily.

For the purpose of holding the fuse in the passage 23 and also for completing the circuit connection between the terminal 28 and the contact ring 26, the cap 22 is provided with a recess or pocket 45 for receiving frictonally one end 45 of the longitudinally split sleeve 38. This sleeve is provided with a stop 4'! adjacent the end 4@ for limiting the movement of the fuse within the sleeve 38. In order to hold the cap end of the fuse more firmly, the sleeve is formed with spring detente 38a for preventing the fuse from dropping out of the sleeve when the cap is separated from the body and it will rmly clamp against the sleeve to make a good electrical contact and aiso to prevent rattling of the fuse within the sleeve* In this instance the stop 41 is formed by a struck-in portion of the sleeve. The other end 48 of the sleeve is provided with the radial ears Si which are received by the notches 36. When the sleeve is inserted through the ring contact 25 and rotated slightly in either direction, the ears will be out of registry with the notches 3S and be interlocked with the contact ring 26.

With the parts thus assembled, it will be obn vious that the cap ends of the cartridge type fuse 2l will, respectively, engage the terminal 28 and the stop llll. Since the ears 3l are located beyond the contact ring 25, the ears will be moved firmly against the contact ring by the action of spring 29. When the cap or knob 22 is in the position shown in Fig. l, the circuit connection between contact 28 and contact ring 2t is com'- pleted through the fuse 27 and sleeve 38.

The body portion 2| of the receptacle is held, to a support i) having an opening El byaplilf),`

or liner 52. The liner is mounted in the-opening 5l in the support 59. rlhe cpeningsiil `is pro.n vided with a notch 53 extending, radially from. the marginal wall of the opening.- .The liner comprises a onepiece vstrip, of vmetal deformed;

to provide arcuate .portionsfd and a Urshaped section 55 complementary to-,the `contour,oi-thek notch 53., The;arcuateyportionstll of. the .liner 52 are Y provided` with,v flanges 56. which yengage.

wardly beyond they `marginal wall of ,the opening.;

thus the liner is locked with the-support. .The yoke `or" the Uasection;isalso formedwitma struck-out tang 59which .will alsofengage the rear otthe support. ,Y

`The'other end ofy the `arcuate portions-,5.41ct 60l the lineris provided; with resilient `projectiens ori-prongs Snrbentiinwardly. V4These prongs',grip` the outer surface V.of the body-.2 l to irictionally,

hold the body in position tothe Support, f

The body 2 yis extended radially fromoney side thereof and this extension isrectangularshape and Vitsin the yoke of theA liner, thus,v the body is prevented from turning within thev opening, With the` parts. constructedand assembled in.

the manner above described, fthe `,receptacle may be quicklyapplied to ,the support.VVV .'hisA is doneL by simply forcing the. receptaclein vthe liner.

good electricalconnection may be inserted .in an extensioncircuitf Also the ,connectionior,

supplying current to an electrical device is provided with a fuse to protect it and this fuse may be readily removed and replaced when the fuse is burned out.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted. f

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A fuse holder comprising; a body of insulating material having a main passage and an auxiliary passage; a movable contact Within the main passage; resilient means for resisting movement of the contact; a ring contact anchored within the main passage and normally spaced longitudinally from the movable contact, said ring contact having an integral arm extending radially from the ring and having its free end bent so that it will extend into one end of the auxiliary passage, said arm adapted to grip yieldingly a terminal inserted in the other end of the auxiliary passage; a knob having a recess; a metal split sleeve having one end frictionally supported within the recess and having the other end adapted to pass through the ring contact, said sleeve having radial portions capableof underlying the ring contact; a cartridge type fuse,

having one cap thereof frictionally` received by the sleeve to connect same electrically with contact, said resilient means. urging the radial portiony against thel ring contact to establish anv A, electrical connection between the ycontacts through fthe` fuse.

.2. 'Inal `fuseholder assembly, comprising a body of molded v`insulating material having a pairof .spaced passages-extending therethrough, one ofsaidpassages ,having arestriction toy provide a, shoulder; abias'ed contact assembled in the said oneA passage adjacent the shoulder;y a

stationary contact anchored `tothe body, saidy stationary contact having a ring-portion provided with oppositely4 disposed internalnotches disposed over said onerpassage and havingI an in:- tegral resilient arm disposed in the otherpas-r sage,.saidarm-ada pted,to grip al conductor inserted in said other passage from outside the` body; a knob including a ymetal split sleeveslid- 'able in the ring portion ofthe `stationary contact, said sleeve, havingretaining portions adapted to pass through the notches in the ring portionofA said sleeve when slightly turned, said retaining portions are capable kof engaging the ring portion to provide an electrical connection therebetween; `a `fuse `having one end electrically connected with the sleeve and having the otherI endengaging thebiasedcontactto complete a circuit ,between thecontacts, ,said biased con-A tact urging the sleeve in one direction so that theretainingportions willbear.againstl the ring portion of the stationary-contact. ,Y

3....A fuse holder assemblyrcomprisinga body of insulating material having a through passage therein;` a biased .contact locatedatpne end of said ypassage-adaptedk to be connected toa cir-y cuit conductor; a ring contact having `tangsy said ring contact beingvinsertable in to .saidpassages, said tangs biting `into the annularv wall of said passage iorretaining the ring contact4 in positionr within -the .passage; a fuse including av metal-cap at each `end thereof,` one cap. adapted to `engage the biased contact; andra removable fuse carrying member including a yieldable sleeve adapted to grip the other cap of the fuse, said sleeve having lateral ears passing through internal notches in said ring contact so that when the carrying member is rotated slightly the ears will underlie the ring contact to prevent removal of the carrying member, said biased contact urging the fuse and the sleeve in one direction so that the ears will engage the ring contact to establish an electrical connection of said contacts through said fuse.

4. In a fuse holder of the class described, a molded body of insulating material having a pair of through passages therein; a biased contact located in one of said passages; a contact member having a ring portion provided with peripheral tangs extending in one direction and a resilient arm extending in the opposite direction, said contact member being insertable into said passages, said arm extending into one of said passages and the ring porting into the other passage, said tangs biting into the annular wall of said other passage for retaining said contact in position and also for retaining the biased Contact within said one passage.

ELBERT L. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 954,537 McDonald Apr. 12, 1910 1,275,391 Cole Aug. 13, 1918 1,483,218 Fahnestock Feb. 12, 1924 1,494,293 Sciater May 13, 1924 1,965,437 Staehle July 3, 1934 2,187,427 Middleton July 16, 1940 2,207,837 Sundt July 16, 1940 2,581,308 Smith Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 710,003 France May 26, 1931 

